The Last of a Line
by Alecksander
Summary: Another one shot following after "A Greater Pain" My "Step Into Darkness" Series.


_Author Note: Yay!! I was reading… and got bored! WOOT. So I just typed this up in about half an hour. I don't know if anyone will like it and I'm not quite sure where its going… If someone want to think of a plot with me... That could be cool. This fallows the books all the way down to the kids and his wife, even though I am a HUGE slash pairing lover. Anyway… Please read and someone… Tell em what you think._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story._

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Red leafs fell to the ground in the land of the dead. Graves rose from the earth in surprising number for what was thought to be the time of peace. This was believed to be the time when everyone could relax. Lord Voldemort had died years ago and the death eaters had been captured, tried, and kissed. However, it seemed that things would not end as they should.

Everyone's end must come. Some die of illness, some of misfortune, but all leave th realm of the living. Each has their own time, and instant in which this will happen. Some fear too much to go forward, into the unknown, so they become ghosts, haunting places and people they knew well and do not wish to leave alone. Mostly, they did not... They would simply pass into the earth and cease to speak to those that would miss them.

Fate played a part in all of this. In some ways, it seemed cruel. Time and effort had given a man a family. They had given him a wife and three beautiful children. Many years of true bliss had come from this, but not nearly enough, for fate had ripped them away too quickly for the one they left behind. Two still children, one a lovely bride, and another a proud son...

All that remained of them was in the ground, gaurded by a stone seraph.

"James…Albus…Lily…Ginny…" A choked voice came from the lone figure that stood before the grave. Tears fell freely from his eyes as he reached out a shaking hand to touch the stone, wishing with all he had that it wasn't so. His knees shook and he fell to the ground at his family's feet, green eyes glistening and cheeks soaked with tears. "This isn't how it was supposed to end…" A half-sob escaped his lips and his leaned forward with his head on the ground, releasing his grief into the soil. "This isn't how it was supposed to end!" He screamed into the earth, anger at the universe breaking into his words. "You were supposed to be safe!" His rage slowly fell from his face and his voice was barely above a whisper when next he spoke. "I was supposed to keep you safe... Its all my fault... I should be dead... Not you..." Tears soaked the earth as he thought about what lay before him.

Only a little over a year had past since little Lily Luna had started school. Her first day had been such an affair. Harry could picture it clearly.

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"Daddy!! I don't wanna miss the train!" The last word was half-whined from a small, young girl with flowing red hair. The sky outside was barely pinking along the horizon, and many birds were still silent, not quite ready to sing their songs of the dawn. It was obviously much too early for the occupants she desturbed, still ideep in slumber.

Her father, the man she rested her small hands on, groaned in his sleep, hiding his head under his pillow, trying to escape from his 'Little Nuisance'. "Daddy." Another stretched out cry from his daughter made him take a deep breath and peak out from his cave. His rough, sleep thickened voice cracked out, "Lily... Go back to bed... The train doesn't leave until eleven." He looked at his watch and groaned heavier than before. "And it's only 5:16..."

Her eyes watered as she sniffed and looked down at the floor, great tears gathering in her eyes. "But Daddy..." She sniffed again, one tears floating lightly down her smooth cheek and dripping onto the comforter of the bed. Green eyes watched, heavily reminded of his cousin when he was young, though his daughter was much sweeter than Dudley could have ever been. Plus... He couldn't resist...

The man with a bird's nest for hair sighed heavily and slowly sat up in bed, bones popping and a yawn nearly splitting his face in two. He blinked repeatedly, trying to wake himself for the day. "Alright... Alright... You and I can start getting ready to go."

The little girl's face shot up and her eye seemed to light up like the sun. "Thank you Daddy!!" She leaned forward, him leaning forward as well so she could reach, and softly kissed his cheek before racing out of the room. The woman in the bed, still half-asleep stirred gently and rolled towards her husbands side of the bed.

Harry looked around and noticed that his pillow was staring at him, inviting him back to its soft embrace. His eyes shifted around adn he listened intently for his little girl's return before sinking back into his bed. 'She be busy for a little while before she notices I'm gone...' He slowly closed his eyes before a angry little voice came from the doorway. "Daddy! Get up!"

A great sigh of defeat passed through his lips as he dragged himself out of bed and across the floor. He loved his daughter, quite dearly in fact... But he would have to teach her that his sleep was essential to happy lives...

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She had barely been half-way through that first year when the time of peace was cut to an abrupt halt. A new evil had risen and taken its first casualty, a personal strike against the head to the Department of Aurors and the Savior of the Wizarding World, taking an innocent little girl as its prize. Her death had started him on a rampage of a sort, searching for the killer and sending the whole wizarding world into high alert, while his wife and youngest son saw to her burial arrangements.

Lily had been first. The most vulnerable of the four, she was easily targeted when she went wandering on Halloween, a seemingly befitting time for destruction if Potter history had anything to say. A simple poison had been given to her just before she laid down to sleep, at least, that was the assumption. She went to sleep that night, and never woke up again.

James was next, refusing to be coddled as the family was immediately put on edge. While his mother, and brother tried to convince him to disappear with them, he brazenly started looking for the killer along side his father. On the field he was struck down by a wizard in a red mask. His father almost had the monster before it disappeared. The Savior's first son was laid in the earth next to his only daughter, striking him a hard blow.

Ginny was the next loss and the most terrible. Keeping Albus safely hidden, she went in search of her husband's side, not willing to allow her family to be slowly picked off, one by one. She never reached his arms as she was taken and found a week later, beaten and breathing her last breath. She had passed on before he had reached her side. She was put to the earth beside her daughter and an angel was put above the three to mark them for all to see. He made a promise to his wife, not long after she was laid to rest to protect their last remaining child... But he had failed.

Little Albus was the last. After what had happened with the rest of his family, everyone kept their eyes open and watching, waiting. The killer, or killers, had not made a strike at the most powerful; instead, he had taken on the family. Everyone knew that the last son would be the next fatality. A good month passed before something got below the radar and silenced the last child of the line. Taking muggle means to do the job when everything wizarding had been protected against. Rage followed in the wake of the funeral as he was placed beside his brother, but anguish quickly took its place as silenced engulfed life.

Nothing more happened. All had gone silent as the last Potter once more faced the world alone. No one tried to take his life as he organized a final funeral for his child, burying him with the rest of his family, wishing in his darkest of depths that he could simply join them in the ground. Wasn't the hardship of his life supposed to be over? Wasn't the death of his parents' murderer supposed to be the end of it? But no... That just seemed like it would never be... He had made his promise... And failed... Was this now his punishment?

The emerald eyed man raised his head from the ground and cast on last look upon the grave stone, brushing his lips over the names before standing and hardening his face. He looked out across the graveyard and made a decision that he knew would set the course for the last of his years. A course that would surely take his life, but end this, finally making a place where children like Teddy and his friends' children could live without fear.

Teddy…Pure fear struck through his chest, staggering him where he stood. His godson… Not another one... Oh Merlin not another one... No... And the children of his friends from Hogwarts. Ron and Hermione's kids... Luna's. Merlin, even Malfoy's! None of them deserved this new destroyer. He couldn't allow any of them to be added the dirt beneath his feet. He wouldn't!

Harry Potter's eyes filled with rage at his new foe. "I may have failed in protecting Albus, Gin... But this murderer will be brought before me and put to death..." He stormed forward into the world, power crackling around him, urging him forward. "Even if I have to enslave the world to find him."

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_Okay, so… What do you think? Should I write it? I know it's more to the Harry Potter saga, but at least I've fallowed the books. XD Anyway… review?_


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